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H2637 · Hebrew · Old Testament
חָסֵר
Chaser
Verb / Adjective
To lack / to be without / deficient

Definition

The Hebrew chaser means to lack, to be without, to be deficient or diminished. As an adjective it describes something or someone that is incomplete, insufficient, or wanting.

Usage & Theological Significance

Chaser is the word behind one of the most comforting declarations in all of Scripture: 'The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want' (Psalm 23:1). The promise that those who trust God will lack nothing is a foundational confession of covenant faithfulness. Conversely, Proverbs uses chaser to describe the fool who 'lacks sense' (Proverbs 10:13) and the wayward heart that leads to ruin. The word frames the fundamental human condition: we are inherently incomplete creatures who find wholeness only in God. Creation is designed so that our lack draws us to the Creator who alone satisfies.

Key Bible Verses

Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
Proverbs 10:13 Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of one who has no sense.
Deuteronomy 2:7 The LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.
Ecclesiastes 6:2 God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire, but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them.
Proverbs 28:22 The stingy are eager to get rich and are unaware that poverty awaits them.

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